IBAF Inaugural Rankings: Cuba, USA, Korea
January 14, 2009 7:34 AM(revised to reflect updated IBAF rankings)
The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) posted (and corrected) its first-ever World Rankings table today.
Cuba slides easily into the top spot with 1021.50 points. The USA pulls up into second with 799.32 points. Korea hits third with 779.82 points. Full rankings can be found here and here.
“The IBAF is long overdue for World Rankings,” said IBAF President Dr. Harvey Schiller in a press release. “The level of competition worldwide grows stronger every year, and we need to begin to recognize the federations that are fielding teams and performing well, whether it is in an intra-continental tournament or a World Cup.”
Nation’s federations are awarded points based on a formula which takes into account a teams finishing position and the size and importance of various international baseball tournaments. The World Rankings will be recalculated after each qualifying event.
The IBAF was founded in 1938 and is located in Lausanne, Switzerland. The non-governmental organization works to develop and grow the game of baseball around the world.
| Rank | Country | Points |
| 1 | Cuba | 1021.50 |
| 2 | USA | 799.32 |
| 3 | Korea | 779.82 |
| 4 | Japan | 691.00 |
| 5 | Chinese Taipei | 458.50 |
| 6 | Netherlands | 336.57 |
| 7 | Canada | 262.19 |
| 8 | Mexico | 238.93 |
| 9 | Panama | 197.64 |
| 10 | Australia | 191.43 |
| 11 | Puerto Rico | 155.82 |
| 12 | Nicaragua | 123.50 |
| 13 | Italy | 118.88 |
| 14 | China | 97.68 |
| 15 | Venezuela | 90.68 |
| 16 | Spain | 69.50 |
| 17 | Dominican Republic | 69.00 |
| 18 | Brazil | 41.50 |
| 19 | Germany | 36.32 |
| 20 | South Africa | 33.93 |
| 21 | Czech Republic | 29.55 |
| 22 | Philippines | 25.00 |
| 23 | Great Britain | 24.88 |
| 24 | Colombia | 22.50 |
| 25 | Sweden | 21.75 |
| 26 | Thailand | 13.00 |
| 27 | France | 12.38 |
| 28 | Netherlands Antilles | 12.25 |
| 29 | Nigeria | 10.00 |
| 30 | Russia | 9.63 |
| 31 | Ghana | 7.50 |
| 32 | Ukraine | 5.38 |
| 33 | Virgin Islands | 5.00 |
| 34 | Croatia | 4.50 |
| 35 | Aruba | 4.25 |
| 36 | Zimbabwe | 3.75 |
| 37 | Greece | 3.13 |
| 38 | Lesotho | 2.00 |
| 39 | Austria | 1.38 |
| 40 | Lithuania | 1.00 |
| 40 | Bahamas | 1.00 |
| 42 | Guatemala | 0.75 |
| 43 | Cameroon | 0.25 |
| 44 | Hong Kong | 0.00 |
| 44 | Pakistan | 0.00 |
